In manufacturing semiconductor device, various kinds of processes such as a film forming process or an etching process are repeatedly performed on a target object such as a semiconductor wafer. In order to perform these processes, there has been used a processing system including a plurality of processing apparatuses for performing different processes. Such a processing system is managed by a computer and a predetermined process is performed in each processing apparatus according to software executed by the computer.
Typically, in the respective processing apparatuses constituting the processing system, several preparatory processes are required to perform a next process. For example, in a CVD film forming apparatus for performing a film forming process on a target object by a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method, after a certain process is completed in a predetermined chamber and before the next process is started, a process of cleaning the inside of the predetermined chamber, a process of purging the inside of the chamber by introducing a non-reactive gas into the chamber, a process of preliminarily heating a susceptor for supporting the target object in the chamber, and a process of pre-coating the susceptor have been performed as preparatory processes (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. H10-189488 (FIG. 4)). Since it usually takes a long time of about half a day or one day to carry out a series of these preparatory processes, during that time period, it is impossible to perform a process on the target object in the processing apparatuses.
Meanwhile, software (program) installed in a hard disc of the computer for managing the processing system is frequently updated (version-up) to reflect a change in a process content. In the processing system for manufacturing a semiconductor, there may be performed a mirroring operation in which a pair of the same hard discs of the computer are prepared so as to simultaneously record therein the same contents for a backup. When the version-up of software is made in hard discs configured as stated above, one hard disc is disconnected and the version-up of software is made in the other hard disc, in order to make an easy recovery when the version-up fails. Then, operations are checked using the version-up software. Thereafter, the disconnected hard disc is reconnected with the computer and the version-up software is copied from the other hard disc into the one hard disc. In this case, in order to disconnect and reconnect the hard disc, it needs to turn off a power supply of the computer to shut the computer down.
As described above, since the whole processing system is unitarily managed by the computer, when the computer is shut down so as to perform the version-up of the software, the whole processing system needs to be stopped. That is, power supplies of end devices such as a pump, a heater, a high frequency power supply in each processing apparatus should be shut down. However, as for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for performing a precise process such as a film forming process or an etching process on a target object, if each end device is stopped once, the above-described preparatory processes are needed to be taken to recover the end device to an operable condition. Accordingly, non-operation time (downtime) of the whole processing system is increased, which causes a decrease in process efficiency.